Metaphysic Announces Strategic Partnership with Creative Artists Agency; Named Generative AI Provider for Miramax's "Here"

Pioneering Technology Company Partners with the Leading Entertainment and Sports Agency CAA To Orchestrate Brand and Business-Building Opportunities in Entertainment; In Addition to Working with Global Film Producer to Develop Hyperreal Content for Feature Film

LONDON, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Metaphysic announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to develop generative AI tools and services for global talent. Through this partnership, Metaphysic and CAA will work together to unlock creative possibilities for artists using AI across film, television, and entertainment. 

Metaphysic made history in 2022 on "America's Got Talent," introducing hyperreal generative AI content to a national television audience. The team used AI to create photorealistic avatars of the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, that delivered musical performances on stage that looked perfectly real. The first-of-their-kind performances captured the world's attention, along with leaders in the entertainment industry, including CAA and Los Angeles based film and television studio Miramax.

"Metaphysic are industry leaders in using generative AI and machine learning to create photorealistic Hollywood-quality content, combined with their ethics-first approach and thought leadership they unlock an incredible opportunity for the entertainment industry and beyond," said Joanna Popper, Chief Metaverse Officer, CAA. "Artificial intelligence will have a transformative impact on content creation and intellectual property. CAA has always been at the forefront of new technological frontiers and we are excited to work with Metaphysic in bringing the most exciting opportunities to our clients and the industry."

Testament to its technical and creative excellence, Metaphysic has been named the sole AI provider for the highly-anticipated major motion picture "Here," produced by Miramax and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, this adaptation of Richard McGuire's graphic novel reunites the original Oscar-winning team behind "Forrest Gump," along with Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly. The film will be distributed in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

In an industry-first, "Here" extensively incorporates hyperreal AI-generated face replacements and de-ageing into the very fabric of its storytelling. "I've always been attracted to technology that helps me to tell a story. With HERE, the film simply wouldn't work without our actors seamlessly transforming into younger versions of themselves. Metaphysic's AI tools do exactly that, in ways that were previously impossible! Having tested every flavor of face replacement and de-aging technology available today, Metaphysic are clearly the global leaders in feature-quality AI content and the perfect choice for this incredibly challenging, emotional film," said Robert Zemeckis.

Building on its industry-leading generative AI technology for Hollywood, Metaphysic is announcing its new product, "Metaphysic Live." Being deployed in production on "Here," Metaphysic's new tool creates high-resolution photorealistic faceswaps and de-ageing effects on top of actors' performances live and in real-time without the need for further compositing or VFX work. Streaming AI-generated photorealistic content that maps onto real-world scenes at up to 30 frames per second is a dramatic advance in the technology that will be essential to creating immersive AR/VR, gaming and entertainment experiences. Kevin Baillie, Production Visual Effects Supervisor on "Here" says, "It is incredible to see Metaphysic's AI-generated content flawlessly integrated into a shot live on set! The actors can even use the technology as a 'youth mirror' – testing out acting choices for their younger selves in real-time. That feedback loop and youthful performance is absolutely essential in achieving an authentic, delightful result!" 

"Metaphysic is rapidly expanding the creative horizons of Hollywood and beyond. Our tools are cost-effective, movie-quality and scalable - we are being forced to reimagine how visual media is produced," said Thomas Graham, CEO and Co-founder of Metaphysic. "With the support of CAA and by working on projects like "Here," Metaphysic is demonstrating the transformative power of hyperreal AI to shape the future of entertainment and to eventually help people create AI-generated, photorealistic immersive content while they own and control their data."

To build upon its incredible technical offering, Metaphysic is currently hiring additional talent to bolster its machine learning, VFX, and product innovation teams. Qualified candidates are encouraged to reach out to Metaphysic.

Metaphysic has appointed creative team leaders, Co-Founder Chris Ume as AI Supervisor and recently hired Chief Innovation Officer Jo Plaete - as Visual Effects Supervisor for "Here." The team boasts decades of experience in creating hyperreal AI content for films and television and has collectively worked with "South Park," "ABBA: Voyage," "Aladdin," "Ready Player One," "Star Wars," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "World War Z."

ABOUT METAPHYSIC

Metaphysic is the industry leader in developing AI technologies and machine learning research to create immersive photorealisitic content at internet scale. Metaphysic's team of machine learning researchers and generative AI pioneers are focused on an ethical web3 economy where any person can own and control their biometric data while unlocking the future of creativity. Since 2018, the team behind Metaphysic has pioneered machine learning research in generative content and has been the driving force behind the mass popularisation of hyperreal synthetic media and via its @DeepTomCruise channel and performances on AGT. Find out more about our technology at www.metaphysic.ai.
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ABOUT CAA

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy.  Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA's diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world.  The trailblazer of the agency business, CAA was the first to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, establish a philanthropic arm, build a business in China, and form a brand marketing services division, among other innovations. Named Most Valuable Sports Agency by Forbes for nine consecutive years, CAA represents more than 3,000 of the world's top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, Olympics and action sports, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters, and sports personalities and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, social impact, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities.  Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles, and has offices in New York, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Beijing, among other locations globally.  For more information, please visit www.caa.com.

ABOUT MIRAMAX

A beIN Media Group and Paramount company headquartered in Los Angeles and led by CEO Bill Block, MIRAMAX is a global film and television studio best known for its award-winning original films. The company entered a partnership with Paramount in 2020 to create new domestic and international production and co-financing opportunities, particularly in TV and streaming.

MIRAMAX has continued to be one of the most active and robust film and television studios of the last five years. The studio has several compelling projects in various stages of production and distribution, including but not limited to "Here", directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright from a screenplay by Eric Roth; the action pic "The Beekeeper", directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham; thriller "Sick", co-written by Kevin Williamson; "Harvest Moon," directed by Mark Waters, co-written by and starring Paul Bettany and co-starring Candice Bergen; the comedy "Old Dads" written and directed by and starring Bill Burr and co-starring Bobby Cannavale; "The Holdovers," directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, which sold to Focus Features in a record breaking deal out of the Toronto International Film Festival; as well as "The Home," helmed by "The Purge" franchise's James DeMonaco and starring Pete Davidson.

Recent successes include the  global blockbuster "Halloween Ends" starring Jamie Lee Curtis, which garnered worldwide box office receipts in excess of $100M; caper comedy "Confess, Fletch" starring Jon Hamm; the Netflix hit "He's All That," starring Addison Rae and directed by Mark Waters, which landed the number one spot on Netflix's Top 10 in its opening weekend; "Uncle Frank," directed by Alan Ball and starring Paul Bettany, which was snapped up by Amazon after premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival; Guy Ritchie's "The Gentlemen", starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant  and garnering worldwide box office receipts in excess of $100M, and action-thriller "Wrath of Man," MIRAMAX's second project with Ritchie, and starring Jason Statham.

The studio's growing slate of global television content includes a series based on the company's action comedy hit "The Gentlemen" from Guy Ritchie with Netflix; "The Turkish Detective", an international detective series set in Istanbul currently in post-production for Paramount +; a French-language adaptation of Miramax's Oscar®-nominated film "Chocolat" in partnership with Mediawan; and a limited series based on "The Christie Affair" novel by Nina de Gramont, starring and executive produced by Daisy Ridley.

The unrivaled MIRAMAX collection contains more than 700 titles and has received 278 Academy Award® nominations and 68 Oscars®, including four Best Picture awards.

Media Contact
Metaphysic: [email protected] 
CAA: Beth McClinton, [email protected] 
Miramax: Jean McDowell, [email protected]

SOURCE Metaphysic